Daily Number

$2.1M

November 20, 2018

The presence of undocumented immigrants in the United States — and attendant tensions over border security — were hot-button issues in the recent midterm elections. Under Gov. Phil Murphy, however, government in New Jersey is willing to assist immigrants who face the possibility of detention and deportation.

“Deportation is one of the harshest consequences an individual can face under U.S. law, yet most immigrants do not have the right to appointed counsel and many cannot afford an attorney,” Murphy said yesterday as the Department of the Treasury announced funding for legal assistance to low-income immigrants.

The Treasury has allocated $2.1 million in supplemental funding for legal representation through Legal Services of New Jersey ($925,000), the American Friends Service Committee (($925,000), and $125,000 each to law school clinics at Rutgers and Seton Hall universities.

“Providing access to counsel helps ensure due process and just treatment for immigrants while ensuring the efficient administration of our legal system, which can dramatically reduce the taxpayer costs associated with detention,” maintained State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio.